View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Pepperdine Digital Commons Pepperdine University Pepperdine Digital Commons Theses and Dissertations 2011 Working in the transference as a multicultural intervention Goni Hary Bissell Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd Recommended Citation Bissell, Goni Hary, "Working in the transference as a multicultural intervention" (2011). Theses and Dissertations. 183. https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd/183 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected] , [email protected]. i Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology WORKING IN THE TRANSFERENCE AS A MULTICULTURAL INTERVENTION A clinical dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Psychology by Goni Hary Bissell October, 2011 Shelly P. Harrell, Ph.D.–Dissertation Chairperson ii This clinical dissertation, written by Goni Hary Bissell under the guidance of a Faculty Committee and approved by its members, has been submitted to and accepted by the Graduate Faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY Doctoral Committee: Shelly P. Harrell, Ph.D., Chairperson Joanne Hedgespeth, Ph.D. Kumea Shorter-Gooden, Ph.D. Joseph Aguayo, Ph.D. iii © Copyright by Goni Hary Bissell (2011) All Rights Reserved iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. VI VITA ................................................................................................................................ VII ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................... VIII Chapter 1: Introduction and Background Literature ............................................................1 Introduction to the Literature Review ......................................................................2 Psychoanalysis in Context .......................................................................................7 Freud’s milieu. .............................................................................................7 Psychoanalysis: Demographics and applicability. .....................................11 Psychoanalysis becomes a naturalized U.S. citizen. ..................................11 Psychoanalysis, Cultural Studies and Clinical Practice .........................................17 Psychoanalysis as a lens.............................................................................17 Psychoanalytic theory and the spirit of progressivism in treatment. .........20 Summary and Rationale for the Proposed Research ..............................................26 Definition of Terms................................................................................................27 Chapter 2: Review and Analysis Plan ................................................................................30 Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria ..................................................................................31 Topic areas. ................................................................................................31 Dates of publication and databases. ...........................................................31 Types of documents. ..................................................................................32 Critical analysis process. ............................................................................32 Chapter 3: Multicultural Psychology .................................................................................34 Introduction ............................................................................................................34 History of Multicultural Psychology .....................................................................35 Multicultural Competence .....................................................................................39 Conclusion .............................................................................................................45 Chapter 4: Transference ....................................................................................................47 Introduction ............................................................................................................47 Freud ......................................................................................................................47 Klein .......................................................................................................................52 v Chapter 5: Working in the Transference ...........................................................................58 Introduction ............................................................................................................58 Contemporary Kleinian Theory .............................................................................58 How the mind works. .................................................................................59 Transference. ..............................................................................................60 Working in the transference: Technical considerations. ............................62 Projective identification. ............................................................................66 Bion, alpha-function and enactments. ........................................................67 Summary. ...................................................................................................69 Transference and Multicultural Theory .................................................................70 Chapter Six: Synthesis ......................................................................................................76 Transference and Multiculturalism in Dialogue ....................................................76 Integrating Transference and Issues of Diversity ..................................................76 Working in the Transference as a Multicultural Intervention ................................84 What transference can learn from multiculturalism. ..................................84 General applications of transference work for multiculturally competent therapies. ....................................................................................................90 Issues for further research ......................................................................................92 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................95 vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my dissertation chair, Dr. Shelly Harrell, first and foremost, for her unflagging support and encouragement as well as her insight and expertise. This project could not have been accomplished without her. In a similar category of indispensability is my husband, Christopher Bissell, whose consistency and optimism made this project possible. I would also like to thank my committee members, Drs. Hedgespeth, Shorter-Gooden, and Aguayo for the expertise and insightful commentary that helped to refine this project. Finally, I am ever-grateful to my parents, Eliane and David Hary for helping to see me through yet another of life’s challenges with good humor and kindness. vii VITA EDUCATION Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Los Angeles, CA Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, 2006-2011 Antioch University, Culver City, CA M.A. in Psychology, 2005 - 2006 Pomona College, Claremont, CA B.A., 1998 - 2000 Major: Fine Art DOCTORAL CLINICAL TRAINING EXPERIENCE The Wright Institute, Los Angeles, CA Psychological Intern, 10/2009–Present Provide psychoanalytic psychotherapy on a sliding scale basis to L.A.’s diverse outpatient population. Participate in weekly training and supervision with members of the psychoanalytic community of Los Angeles. Gateways Hospital and Community Mental Health Center, Los Angeles, CA Psy.D. Trainee–Inpatient Program, 9/2008–8/2009 Provide psychological treatment for patients in an acute inpatient setting consisting of crisis intervention, psychoeducation and brief psychotherapy. Lead patient groups three days a week and participate in twice weekly team treatment planning sessions with hospital staff. The Maple Counseling Center, Beverly Hills, CA Psy.D. Trainee–Adolescent and Child Therapy Program, 09/2007–08/2008 Intake, diagnosis, treatment planning, and implementation of treatment strategies with a school- and clinic-based adolescent outpatient population. Pepperdine University Psychological Clinic, Los Angeles, CA Graduate Student Therapist, 2006–2009 Intake, diagnosis, treatment planning, and implementation of treatment strategies with an adult and adolescent outpatient population. viii ABSTRACT The purpose of this dissertation is to use a critical review of the literature to provide a framework for working psychodynamically/psychoanalytically with clients that is informed by developments in multicultural psychology. The psychoanalytic technique of working in the transference from a contemporary Kleinian perspective is discussed and analyzed from the perspective of multicultural psychology. The history of multicultural psychology